Audi First to Test Drive Self-Driving Cars in California

Audi is the first automaker to be granted a permit by California to test drive driverless cars on the state’s roads. “Audi is a driving force behind the research taking automated driving from science fiction to pre-production readiness,” said president of Audi of America, Scott Keogh, “Obtaining the first permit issued by the state of California shows that we intend to remain the leader in this vital technology frontier.”

Driverless cars are expected to be ready for public use come 2020 with as many as 230,000 self-driving cars hitting to road each year by 2025. Testing the cars on public roads doesn’t come easy. Car companies must register the vehicles with the DMV, train the drivers running the tests, and put up a $5 million dollar bond for any accident claims that may arise during testing.

Other automakers, including Toyota, Ford, Nissan, and Mercedes, have been testing self-driving cars elsewhere. Florida, Nevada, and Michigan already allow self-driving cars to be tested on public roads.